Hashi – A Taste of Japanese Street Food in Trinidad

Get your ramen fix at Hashi.

Ramen. The name strikes a chord amongst anime watchers and those who hold an appreciation for Japanese culture. Others might find their mind wonders to “cup noodles”, that struggle meal we accept when lacking in either time or funds. Thinking that cup noodles equates to ramen is, quite frankly, the equivalent to slapping channa on bread and calling it doubles. What is it exactly then? Ramen is a Japanese dish consisting of Chinese-style noodles served in a bowl of rich meat-based broth, topped with various veggies and meats.

Hashi seeks to provide you with an authentic ramen taste experience with their prime three ramen dishes of pork, beef, or shrimp. Readers, it should be said from the onset that the earlier description can sound deceptively simple. In fact you are left with a very filling meal when the noodles, veggies, and meats are all served together in the broth.

The pork ramen, which is the standard bowl served, consists of the base ramen noodles served in paitan (a chicken based broth) and topped with pork. The bowl is then splashed with tare sauce and layu. Needless to say the highlight of the dish is Hashi’s specially prepared pork. The circular shape and flavour are a result of a lengthy preparation process that involves, amongst other things, tying up the meat and slow cooking for three hours in a special sauce of aromatics, sake, mirin, and soy sauce. The end result is pork with a unique and delightful flavour that all but melts in your mouth.

Next on the line-up is their beef ramen bowl. The default noodles used for this one are Bankai udon noodles. Used in Japanese cuisine, these noodles are of a thick wheat flour variety. Despite being the default noodles used for this particular bowl, customers are free to request the regular ramen noodles if they so desire. This is then served up in a bowl of beef broth and generous portions of pan-seared flank steak. The broth is pho style; made from beef bones and chunks. Topping the bowl for the final product, bean sprouts, bok choy, bamboo shoots, chives, naruto, and sweet corn are added.

Lastly there is the shrimp ramen option. The bowl of ramen noodles and paitan (chicken based broth) is served with succulent shrimp that is blanched with seasoning and aromatics. This is all topped with bean sprout, bok choy, bamboo shoots, chives, naruto, and mushrooms. We would suggest this bowl to any shrimp lover as it coincides well with the rest of the ramen dish, offering a different take on the shrimp you love.

Including the default toppings that come with each dish, there are additional options of avocado, extra bamboo shoots, mushrooms, tteok-bokki (Korean rice cake), sweet corn, and seasoned soft boiled eggs.

What makes Hashi’s ramen unique is the care that is placed into producing it. Everything is painstakingly made from scratch with meticulous care given to every detail of the meal. The end result speaks for itself; one cannot help but feel they’re getting their money’s worth. Any foodie looking for a new taste experience is guaranteed to be pleased.

For our readers who are looking to sample their ramen, Hashi will be at Bessfest: Taste of Trinidad & Tobago at Queen’s Park Savannah on Saturday July 8th, 2017! More details available here.